Therapies which may benefit Fainting

Fainting (or syncope pronounced sin-ko-pea) is a complete/ partial loss
of consciousness due to sufficient oxygen reaching the brain. Roots
causes could be lack of food, fluids, sleep, low blood pressure or
hypoglycaemia, or even lack of sleep. Early signals of this condition
are feeling hot, blurred vision, tinnitus, reduced peripheral vision
& brownout (dimming of light accompanied by a brown hue). This is
folllowed moments later by the vision turning black and the person
collapsing

Causes of fainting

Fainting is the brain's defence mechanism when oxygen and blood supply
falls too low for it to function properly. By taking any available
blood and oxygen away from other parts of the body breathing rate
increases (hyperventilation) and the heart rate rises as more blood is
pumped to the brain.

An increase in heart rate causes low blood
pressure (hypotension) in the body and when combined with
hyperventilation the resulting effect can be a loss of consciousness
and weakness in the muscles which causes someone to faint.

There
are different types of fainting and each will describe the underlying
reasons as to why blood flow to the brain is interrupted.

Neurocardiogenic fainting/syncope
– this is the most common cause of fainting and is a short-term
malfunction of the autonomous nervous system which leads to a drop in
blood pressure and blood flow to the brain. The sight of blood,
standing for long periods, being in a hot environment with little air
or a sudden episode of stress, anxiety, upset or fear can trigger
neurocardiogenic syncope.

Occupational fainting/syncope
– this is caused by a sudden strain on the automatic nervous system by
a bodily function or activity such as coughing, sneezing, using the
toilet or strenuous exercise such as lifting weights.

Orthostatic hypotension
– this type of fainting occurs when standing up from a seated position
or from lying down. The nervous system counteracts the effect of
gravity drawing blood to the legs and reducing blood pressure by
narrowing the blood vessels and making the heart beat faster. When
something interrupts this process blood pressure doesn't stabilise
properly leading to fainting.

The main causes of this type of fainting include:

Dehydration
– a lack of fluid in the blood reduces blood pressure making it harder
for the automatic nervous system to stabilise it.

Medications – certain drugs such as antidepressants, diuretics and beta-blockers can trigger this type of fainting

Neurological conditions – such as Parkinson's disease

Carotid sinus syndrome
– this is an abnormality in the main artery of the neck that supplies
blood to the brain (known as the carotid artery). A hypersensitive
carotid artery which is stimulated by physical movement or a
restriction (such as turning your head to the side or wearing
tight-fitting collars) can trigger sensors which drop blood pressure.

Cardiac fainting/syncope
– an underlying problem with the heart can cause an interruption of
blood supply to the brain. Common causes of cardiac syncope include:
heart valve blockages, high blood pressure, heart attack and abnormal
heart rhythms.

Symptoms of fainting

The symptoms of fainting typically begin with feeling weak and unsteady
which is quickly followed by passing out for a brief moment (usually
just a few seconds).

Fainting can occur when you're on your
feet, sitting down or when getting up too quickly. Before fainting you
may experience symptoms which suggest you're about to lose
consciousness.

These symptoms include:

Rapid breaths

Blurry vision

Spots before your eyes

Ringing in the ears

Feeling sick

Clammy hands

Sweating

Yawning

These
symptoms may last for a few seconds giving you very little warning. By
fainting and falling to the ground your body is putting the head and
heart at the same level making it easier for the heart to pump blood to
the brain. Shortly after fainting you should regain consciousness
although you may feel weak and confused for the next half an hour.

Diagnosis of fainting

The majority of fainting cases do not represent a cause for concern but
you should seek medical assessment from your GP if you've had no
previous history of fainting or the fainting occurs frequently.

If
you're diabetic, pregnant or have a history of heart disease you should
visit your GP. If the fainting is accompanied by chest pain or an
irregular heartbeat, or if you take a long time to regain consciousness
after fainting seek medical attention.

A GP will perform a
physical examination and listen to your heart beat using a stethoscope
to check for any underlying heart conditions. They may send you for
further tests such as an ECG (electrocardiogram) to record your heart's
rhythm and electrical activity.

Other tests for fainting include
blood tests to rule out diabetes or anaemia and a tilt-table test which
is designed to make you feel light-headed in order to diagnose
orthostatic hypotension.